The Toward an Africa Without Borders organizing committee invitesscholars= and activists from all disciplines and professions to submit abstractsor= panel proposals for consideration for our third international conference= tobe held in Durban, South Africa July 5-8, 2007. Theconference features= keynote speakers Horace Campbell, Andile Mngxitama, andChengiah Rogers R=agaven. Toward an Africa Without Borders is dedicated toopening borders, =both physical and metaphorical, and to promoting unity andsolidarity betw=een groups in the Diaspora and Africaby facilitating strategic alliances =and discussions that lead to partnershipsfor positive action in the name =of Pan-Africanism.

The conference will consist of various panels and round-tablediscussions,= and will highlight four Featured Panels.

Featured Panels:**

Activism Across BordersHow can activism [and scholarship] cross and breakdown borders, be they g=eographic borders or borders dividing gender, class,language, ethnicity, =religion, age, etc.? What are the benefits or drawbacks ofconceptualizing= activism in terms of such =E2=80=9Cborders=E2=80=9D?Africa & the Media: Borders of PerceptionHow do media affect the perception of Africa in both Africa and the Diasp=ora? How can international anddomestic African media work to expand under=standing or facilitate cooperation?What is the role of state and journali=st control/censorship in this process?Pan-Africanism: Theory and PracticeHow can Pan-African ideas and theories be put intopractice in today=E2=80==99s Africa? How canPan-African theory facilitate positive action and col=laboration throughout Africa and the Diaspora? What are the benefits and/=orpitfalls of Pan-Africanism in the context of activism and scholarship?South Africa=E2=80=99s Role in Africaand the WorldHow does the idea of "South AfricanExceptionalism" complement or impair t=he Pan-Africanist agenda? Is SouthAfrican Exceptionalism a myth or realit=y? How does South Africa's role within SADC andthe African continent affe=ct issues such as immigration and domestic andforeign policy, in general?= What are the advantages and disadvantages of themodel of social change e=mployed by South Africa post liberation?

**If you would like your abstract to be considered for one of the feature=dpanels, please clearly indicate that on your submission.

In addition to these featured panels, the conference welcomes scholarsand= activists to discuss such issues as, but not limited to:Arts/performance & Pan-AfricanismWhat role does culture play in today=E2=80=99sPan-African movement? How c=an the arts and performance better serve to bridgePan-African ideology an=d activism? How effectively does art bring politics tothe people and vice= versa?Literature of Africaand the DiasporaWhat recent and historical works of African andDiaspora literature contri=bute to Pan-Africanism? How is contemporaryliterature mobilizing a new vi=sion of Pan-African identity and politics? Whatborders are constructed be=tween continental and Diaspora artists regardingthese issues? Do writers =in Europe and the United States share the sameconception of Pan-Africanis=m as their continental peers?African Women: Struggle and StrengthWhat role do African and Diaspora women play in thestruggle toward an Afr=ica without borders? What challenges do they face? What strengths do they= contribute?Language and AfricaHow does language factor into the Pan-African debatetoday? Do linguistic =and language barriers pose viable threats to Pan-Africanpossibilities, or= should linguistic diversity be embraced? How practical andhow problemati=c is English as the lingua franca of the Pan-African movement? How access=ible =E2=80=93 and how relevant =E2=80=93 is Pan-African discourse to the=general public?Globalization, Africa,and the DiasporaWhat is Africa=E2=80=99srole in globalization? How has globalization alte=red Africaand the Diaspora? Has it been for better or worse? Does globali=zation build orerase borders? Where does Pan-Africanism stand in relation= to other models ofglobal identity, nationhood and/or belonging?Religion, Ethnicity, and Identity in Africaand the DiasporaWhat is the role of religion, ethnicity, and/oridentity in erecting or de=stroying borders in Africaand the Diaspora? How can these concepts contri=bute or detract fromcooperation, understanding, and collaboration between= peoples? How can theseborders be negotiated to end genocide in Africa?Africa and Foreign RelationsWhat is the impact of African nations=E2=80=99 foreignpolicy on cooperati=on and understanding across geographic borders? How canAfrica benefit fro=m improved and continued partnerships with not only the West,but also the= Middle East and Asia?Health and Medicine in AfricaWhat are the borders affecting improvements in healthcare and medicine di=stribution/availability in Africa?How can breaking down these divisions h=elp Africacope with and eliminate the major health issues affecting the c=ontinent?Africa and the EnvironmentHow can Africa workto improve the environment? What is Africa=E2=80=99sro=le in the global climate crisis? What is the impact of environmental chan=geon African peoples?Refugees, Immigration, and Pan-AfricanismHow can applying the ideas and ideals of Pan-Africanismassist the contine=nt and the Diaspora in dealing with refugee and immigrationissues?Government Organizations, Non-GovernmentalOrganizations, and DevelopmentWhat are the roles of these organizations indevelopment projects in Afric=a? What are theborders that affect their work? How can re-conceptualizing= these variousborders better facilitate their work?Emerging Global Powers in AfricaWhat role do emerging global powers, such as China and India,and their gr=owing economic involvement, play in Africa?How does this new involvement =compare with previous involvement of=E2=80=9Ctraditional imperialists=E2=80==9D? What is the impact of this involvementon African-based initiatives f=or trade, development, social and politicaladvancement?African SexualityAre gender and sexuality the least porous of Africanfrontiers? What are t=he borders that prevent the acknowledgment or acceptanceof homosexuality =in Africa? DoesPan-Africanism have a role in eliminating sexualized borde=rs, and if so, whatis that role? What affect will South Africa's marriage= inclusion law have uponsexual identities across the continent? How does =Pan-Africanism benefit ordeter the discussion of sexuality in Africa?

Submission of abstracts & activists=E2=80=99 proposals for discussiontopi=cs: Abstracts should be limited to 250 words, and should include theautho=r's name, title, affiliation, and full address (including telephone, fax,=and e-mail). Activists are strongly encouraged to submit proposals forrou=nd-table discussions on these and related topics. Please visit our web si=te- www.towardanafricawithoutborders.org- for more information and to sub=mit abstracts and proposals online. If youhave any questions, please e-ma=il us at Durban2007_at_towardanafricawithoutborders.org,or call Denise St. C=lair at 608-226-0535. If you are unable to access the website, you can al=so submit proposals by mailing them to Toward an Africa WithoutBorders, c=/o Denise St. Clair, 4518 Maher Avenue, Madison, WI, 53716.Or, you can fa=x them to 608-694-4118.